Deception
by Blaztron
Summary: Leonardo has a loving family and loyal friends. Sure, certain individuals strive to take that away but the clan fights back, each member determined to defend their loved ones. Leo couldn't be happier. That balance gets disturbed when he breaks the walls of the illusion he's living in and never before in his life did he consider himself willing to live a lie than face the truth.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: TMNT doesn't belong to me. Duh, I wouldn't be writing this then.**

 **Hello! This is my first story ever. So feel free to point out any mistakes.**

 **I also want to warn you that this story contains voilence, gore, possible character deaths in the future etc etc. No sunshine and rainbows here. This is my first and last warning.**

 _There are two ways to be fooled. One is to believe what isn't true; the other is to refuse to accept what is true._

Leonardo stared into the dark surrounding him. He had been staring into the void for a while now. He blinked and got out of his trance, looking around him. He inspected his environment and furrowed his non-existent brows in confusion. Where was he? There was nothing here. It was just an empty abyss. The terrapin ransacked his memories in hopes of shedding light on his cluelessness.

 _Am I meditating? No... can't be. It doesn't feel so uncomfortable... So dark._

Why was he feeling like this then? Why was he so worked up? His senses were on their highest anxiety level. Was he dreading something? _Dreading what?_

At this point, he was beyond confused. He already deduced he wasn't meditating. That would bring him peace and calmness. What was going on then?

 _Only one way to find out._

He started walking in a random direction, looking for any change around him while he searched his brain. The last thing he remembered was returning from patrol. There wasn't any sign of excitement, just serene empty streets. This resulted in a certain very grumpy hothead. Raphael, his immediate younger brother, was a man, well, a turtle of action. Not being able to find action frustrated him. Heck, Leonardo could hear his internal screaming with his anger radiating out of him when they were on their way to the lair, their home. Leo never showed it, but he sometimes got amused over how very little things could tick the temperamental turtle off. His mind turned to his youngest brother, Michelangelo, the cheerful and over-energised party guy, who was most of the time the cause of Raphael's outbursts. Though Leo knew better. Outwardly, while it might seem the prankster annoyed him for giggles, Mikey provided an outlet for Raphael's frustrations. And Raphael was always careful too. Of course, there _were_ exceptions. Leo chuckled slightly. _Nobody's perfect._ That left Donatello,the genius. Every gadget the four used was an invention of his and it amazed Leo how he could make such useful things with useless junk. He was usually calm and cool like Leonardo but even Donnie could get on his nerves.

He smiled. He was proud of his brothers just the way they were. He'd do anything for them, even throw away his life. If anything were to happen to any of them it would destroy him.

He kept walking for what felt like hours and finally took a break. Nothing. He found _nothing._ His mind was mildly starting to panic now. He tried to keep calm but it was no use. The abyss was starting to suffocate him. He needed to get out of here. Shell, was his family alright? Were they here? Were they even alive? He needed to get out. He needed to get out _now-_

He turned his head around so fast, he was surprised his neck didn't snap. He thought he heard something. It was faint, but it was there. He stiffened, half expecting something to come pouncing at him. He flinched lightly when the sound came again and he was able to discern it as... laughter? It was high pitched and seemed male. _Wait, a kid?_ What the heck? Before he could respond in any way, he detected movement in his periphral vision and turned to see-

His eyes widened. _What the heck?_

Indeed it was a child, but he had a shell. _Another turtle?_ Leo gaped in surprise. This wasn't just _any_ turtle, it was one of his little brothers. Now _very_ little brother. He looked no more than 6. Was the younger terrapin here before him? Did this dark world de-age him? His mind was reeling with so many questions, it was giving him a headache.

Abrubtly, the tot, smiling brightly, dashed off.

"Catch me if you can, big bro!"

"Wha- No! Hey, wait!", Leo exclaimed, running after him. _Might as well catch up to him. He's the only clue I have._

Leonardo kept running after the tot for a few minutes and came to a realization that the kid was suprisingly fast. He shouted the young terrapin's name to get him to stop but to no avail. The child kept running, his laughter echoing in the darkness.

Leo suddenly felt a wave of euphoria hit him. He couldn't help it. The kid's enthusiasm was too contagious. He forgot about his predicament. The child's extreme content warmed his heart and he played along with him. He laughed and finally caught his brother. The turtle tot squealed and squirmed in Leo's grip.

"Gotcha!", Leo said, grinning.

The little turtle smirked mischieviously. Leo's smile turned to one of confusion and he raised an eye ridge, looking inquisitively at the kid. The small turtle suddenly raised his hands and slapped both sides of Leo's face. The motion completely unexpected, Leo let go, stunned. He immediately ran after landing. "You can't catch me that easy!", he laughed.

Leo got out of his stupor and smiled. Out of all his brothers, this one was the most unpredictable. "Oh I'll get you for that!", he exclaimed playfully and started after him. The tot squealed and ran faster, sliding to round a corner-

Leo bumped headfirst into the wall. He groaned in pain and leaned on the wall, clutching his head. _Ow._ So much for ninja reflexes. Moments like these made him question his ability. Like how the heck did he not see that wall coming. Maybe he should more effort into training. He froze for a moment.

He looked at the concrete structure with wide eyes. A wall. His dreadful situation came crashing back. He gritted his teeth in irritation. He got distracted by 'playing' and completely forgot about his current problem. He thanked his luck that his brothers weren't here to see this. They'd never let him live this down. Especially Raph. He looked behind him and found a tunnel. It looked like he was in the sewers but he couldn't recognize the location. It did seem uncomfortably fimiliar but he couldn't put a finger on it. Leo narrowed his eyes. Just moments ago there was nothing. Just plain emptiness. How he missed this change, he would never know.

 _That's it._

He brought his guard up and began to walk around the corner. _No more playtime._ It was time he asked the kid where and what this place was. He doubted it was going to get him anywhere but he had to try. Speak of the devil. The tot was standing there. Leo crept up behind him and picked him up on his shoulder.

"I won't let you get away this time, little brother.", Leo smiled.

Which turned into a frown. He was expecting struggle. He was expecting laughter. He didn't expect for the little terrapin to do... nothing. He set the child down in front of him and saw an expression of horror on his face. Tears filled his wide eyes and a strangled sob escaped his lips. Leo got worried to no end. "Hey, are you alright? Little brother? Come on, talk to me.", he cupped the child's face in his hands and called out his name multiple time but got no response. Leo then realized that the tot wasn't looking at him. His eyes were focused on something behind Leonardo. Leo whipped around, one hand on the hilt of his sword, ready to slash whatever was making his little brother so terrified.

His pupils turned into pinpricks.

Blood. Blood everywhere. He couldn't see the figure laying before him clearly as it was hidden by shadows but whatever murdered this poor soul showed no mercy. He remembered his brother and turned lightning fast to get the child out of here, prevent any further scarring as he possibly could from the brutal scene.

But he was gone.

 _Where did he go!?_ Leo panicked and looked in every direction to see where the tot could have vanished to. Unwillingly, he set his eyes upon the corpse which he instantly wished he didn't.

Leo started to tremble, eyes wide with horror. He covered his mouth with his hand fearing he might vomit. He wanted to look away, he wanted so badly to look away but he was paralyzed by shock.

The person laying there was his little brother, the same one who was standing next to him moments ago. Gaping holes were present through his chest and left eye. It seemed as the heart was purposely, brutally, torn out. He could see the veins hanging out from the large wounds. His plastron was cracked in a web-like pattern emerging from the wound. Cuts and bruises littered the boy's whole body. Blood trailed down from his lacerations. His innocent little brother was lifeless, rotting in his own pool of blood.

Leo fell on his knees lurching forward, thankful he hadn't had anything in his system to get out. His mind was trapped in a turbulence of emotions; grief, anger, confusion, fear. The horrid display had been plastered into the deepest depths of his memory. Tears already formed fell as a silent sob escaped him. He took his eyes away from the corpse. Mixed saturated emotions formed a barrier between him and his surroundings as he kept struggling to process what occured all the while wishing to escape all this.

 _This can't be real. He can't be dead. This isn't real! This isn't_ real!

Unbeknownst to Leo, a shadow tendril emerged from the chest wound and shot forward with speed, impaling Leo's midsection. He gasped loudly from the sudden unbearable pain. He looked at the dead body in surprise, just in time to see another dark tentacle coming straight for his head.

And darkness swallowed him in seconds.

 **So, how was it? Lemme know in the reviews!**

P.S **The quote's by Soren Kierkegaard.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Tmnt belongs to Nick. Not me. Nope.**

 **I'm sorry for the wait. :'v I was having a hard time writing this chapter. Especially the dialogues. I don't know if I have expressed the characters correctly.**

 **This chapter contains swearing. Proceed with caution.**

* * *

He jolted awake, flailing his arms and legs as he felt something grab him. He fell a small distance to the ground. Reflexes kicked in and his hand went to his swords only to find empty space. His breathing and heart rate quickened and he stood up in a defense position to face his opponent.

Leonardo was so embarassed, he might as well curl up in a corner for the rest of his life. The opponent he thought was attacking him were bed sheets. _Bed sheets._ And he fell off his bed while trying to fend off this _terrifying_ enemy. He sighed wearily and glanced at the clock. 4:40. He groaned. There was still an hour and a half left before training started. Sleep, obviously, was not welcoming at this moment. He made his way to the dojo. _Maybe meditating will help._ He sat down facing the tree and closed his eyes. The moment he did so, flashes of the nightmare invaded his mind. He flinched and his eyes shot open. _Or not._ His breathing became unsteady, beads of sweat trailing down his forhead. He went to the main room and sat on the couch. Meditation was a bad idea. Everytime he closed his eyes, even blinked, the image of the lifeless form would appear. He grabbed the remote and turned the television on, surfing through the channels. He turned it off after everything failed to distract him. So he sat there and drowned in his thoughts.

He had been having occasional bad dreams for a while. They became frequent the last few days. Dreams like disappointing his family, messing up missions, failing as a leader. All these dreams were unnerving but not to a degree he would call them nightmares. But this... this just took it beyond that level. The other dreams weren't as voilent and grotesque as this one nor did it involve any of his brothers directly. And that darkness... he felt as if it was manipulating his emotions. One moment he's blank, the next he's happy and then he's horrified? It was too vivid. This nightmare was confusing him. It was _scaring_ him. He should check on his brother. Maybe that might calm down his rattled nerves. He was about to get up when a tired voice startled him.

"You're up earlier than usual. What, you're already 'perfect' schedule wasn't enough?" It mocked.

Leo turned to find Raphael making his way towards the couch and sit next to him. He stared at him. His shoulders were hunched and his eyes looked tired. When did he get here? Damn, he needed to get a hold of himself. He then looked at the floor. "No. Couldn't sleep," Leo turned to face Raph, "I should be asking you the same."

"I couldn't sleep either." Raph grumbled and massaged his temples, "Man, Mikey's snoring was bad enough, then you decided stomp on the ground and contribute to the damn earthquake." He glared at Leo sideways, "Decided to torture me fearless? An apology wasn't enough?"

Leo stared at his hothead brother once again. _Raph? Apologize? And what for?_ But then he remembered their fight last night. It had again been over something stupid. _Oh._

"Well?"

"Huh? Oh... uh... no. It's not because of that." He turned his gaze to the ground again, embarassed, "I uh... fell off the bed..." His voice gradually lost volume reaching the end of the sentence.

Raph stared at him. He almost missed what Leo had said and a light chuckle followed his silence. They sat quietly for a while when Raph broke the ice.

"So... what's bugging you?" He asked.

Leo snapped his head towards his brother. _That was unexpected._ He took a moment to answer, "What?" He asked stupidly.

Raph rolled his eyes, "I asked what was bothering you." He almost added an insult. But begrudgingly stopped himself.

"It's... nothing. Nothing's bugging me." He said, "I'm fine." He was _not_ fine. But he didn't want to tell his brother that he was worked up over some dream. Worrying him over something superficial was useless.

"You're a bad liar" Raph said, his piercing green eyes seeing past Leo's shield.

Leo clicked his tongue, "Look, Raph, just drop it. It's nothing."

Raph crossed his arms over his plastron and glared at him indicating he wasn't going to back off unless Leo spilled the beans. Leo sighed and held his head, elbows on knees. He should've known Raph wouldn't just drop it. Raph beat the others in the worry wart department second to Leo and to add to that, he was the most stubborn of them all. Even if he didn't show it, Leo knew Raph was internally dying with worry. But Leo still didn't want to confront him. He was just too tired.

"Alright, fine. I had a nightmare. It's nothing to fuss over about. So drop it."

"I doubt it's nothing to fuss over about if it has you this much stressed." Raph smirked, "You do always have a pole up your ass, just not to this degree."

"Raphael!"

Raph chuckled, "Geez, chill out. The sooner you tell me the sooner I'll let it go." He winced internally. He was starting to sound like Mikey. Leo was really tempting him to beat it out of him.

"And if I dont?" He asked, annoyed.

"Hey, we have the whole day ahead of us. And since you woke me by falling off your bed..." Leo groaned, Raph didn't need to continue.

"You're not letting that one go, are you?"

"Nope," He grinned, " and don't change the subject."

"My God, Raph. _Fine_ , I'll tell you."

He described the dream to the best of his ability. From the dark empty land to the appearance of one of the three and finally ending it, albeit reluctantly, with the deaths. He tried to be vague at this part, though, failing at that. Raph was listening intently, never once interrupting which surprised Leo because he thought he was incapable of that. But he didn't care. This was one of those rare moments that they got to talk without starting an argument. Which was a feat right now, because both of them were tired and a fight was imminent between them in this sort of situation.

After Leo finished he looked at Raph, eager to see what his reaction would be. Raph's eyes were narrowed and lips were pressed, probably processing what he had revealed to him. After a while, he broke the silence.

"...and you said it was nothing."

Leo wasn't sure how to continue the conversation. Atleast he was a little, if not fully, distracted from the dream.

"Which one of us was it?"

Leo froze. The image was jumping in and out of his brain. His hands started to shake and he looked at Raph with glassy eyes, unable to hide his fear any longer. He wanted nothing more than to hold his brother and convince himself that he was here, he was safe. But the thought that anything could happen at any moment, the dread of losing... He shut his eyes and turned away. It was too much. These thoughts were becoming unbearable.

His eyes snapped open when he felt weight on his shoulders. He was stunned. Raph was actually hugging. After a long moment he lifted his arms and held the hothead, his grip becoming harder and harder the more that image of the mutilated corpse flashed in his mind. He couldn't hold it in any longer. As the tsunami of emotions became unbearable, he silently gave in.

* * *

"Which one of us was it?"

Shit. _Shit!_ Of all the major idiots in the world, he had to be the king of them to have asked this. _Fuck._ His brother had just had a nightmare and saw of one of them as a mutilated, bloody corpse and he had made it worse by reminding Leo of that scenario because of his wonderful curiosity. _Brother of the year._ He thought bitterly. As he faced Leo to apologize for his stupidity, he felt unending guilt eat him.

Leo was on the verge of breaking down. His hands were trembling badly and he shut his eyes and turned away, trying to compose himself. But Raph didn't miss that look. That look of fear, the unsettling desperation... realization dawned on him like a punch to the gut.

 _It was me._

Raph turned his gaze to the floor. If Leo had easily dropped his shield in front of him... then it must've meant he wanted reassurance that _Raph_ was okay. But he didn't know what to do. He was very bad at this. And what he said earlier was enough of an example. But he needed to do _something._ He straightened. He had an idea. He was hesitant though. He wasn't really sure it would improve the situation in any way.

 _Oh to hell with it._

He hugged Leo and felt him tense. Raph grimaced. Damn it, why couldn't he do anything right? But then Leo lifted his arms, ever so slowly, and returned the gesture. He held onto him like a lifeline as if fearing he might disappear if he let go. And he cried. Leo, the fearless leader, cried.

"I'm here, big brother." He said.

Normally he would tell him to man up, but seeing him like this... that nightmare had _wrecked_ him and he needed support which Raph would gladly give. He was willing to stay as long as Leo needed him.

"I'm here."

* * *

 **How was it? Please review!**

 **See you next time. :'D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: ;-;**

 **Very very sorry for the late update. D': I'm lacking motivation and energy nowadays and its hard to write in that state. ;n; pls forgive me. I had to boost my energy reserves with a lotta caffeine to complete this chapter.**

 **And thank you for the faves,follows and reviews! They mean a lot. :').**

 **As always, critiques, advice and grammar police etc etc are welcome.**

* * *

"Yeah, boy! Turtles for the win!"

Leo and Donnie smiled at their youngest brother who was skipping ahead of them in the sewers while Raph just shook his head. It had been a victory for them indeed. They had been engaging the purple dragons to stop them from robbing a bank. Of course they succeeded; the purple dragons were their easiest enemy. However, their victory was cut short when they realized that these thieves were being used as a distraction. After a while of interrogation they discovered that the foot had been ransacking abandoned kraang facilities for leftover mutagen for a while now. They had caught on to the enemy quite a distance away in an underground kraang base in time out of sheer luck. They had been successful in stopping the foot but the downside was that they had lost the mutagen in the explosion that had destroyed the base. But in the end, the turtles managed to avoid it getting into the wrong hands. They won but didn't return unscathed. All four had some bruises here and there and Raph had gotten a deep cut on his right shoulder which had been treated, as best as it could be in the midst of battle. Other than that, nothing life threatening was observed.

While Michelangelo hopped ahead, Leo saw Donnie frown.

"Something wrong, Donnie?" He asked.

"Nothing... just wondering what the foot will do with the mutagen this time." He answered.

"I heard Tigerclaw say something about needing it for their 'master' to his fellow scumbags." Raph articulately provided from behind them.

"Yeah... what more could Shredder do with it?" Donnie asked, "He's already mutated! What more could he do?"

"Dudes, don't tell me he's gonna double-mutate himself!" Mikey said, facing them and walking backwards with an expression of disgust, "He's already so ugly! I'll turn to stone if he's anymore uglier."

"I don't think he wants it for that," Leo said, "I don't know for sure but the last time we fought, his mutation went unstable."

"... and he might want it to attain stability," Donnie theorized, "That does make sense. I mean, the mutagen is unpredictable but Stockmanfly might find a way to use it to their need."

"It's still just a hunch." Leo said.

"Yeah, for all we know, he could be building a mutant army." Raph grumbled. _Honestly, the lengths that maniac goes to just to get revenge._ Raph winced when he felt a sharp stabbing pain in his shoulder. _Damn cut._ He caught Donnie's worry-filled gaze but brushed it off with a grunt.

"Bros, seriously, you're overthinking it. Forget about the crazy tin can! We should totally party tonight!" He whipped out his phone and began dialling, "Pizza's on me!"

Donnie and Raph exchanged glances and Leo looked with an amused smile. He knew what was coming.

"Hey guys," Mikey had stopped mid-dialling. The other three looked at him skeptically as he smiled sheepishly, "Can I borrow some money?"

Raph facepalmed, Donnie stared at him blankly and Leo shook his head.

"Dumbass." Raph said.

"Language."

* * *

Leo sighed and repeated his kata for the fourth time that night. All he wanted was a distraction from his dream so he could sleep peacefully. But his mind wouldn't let him think anything else. The lack of enough sleep was getting to him. He wanted to forget about that nightmare. It did nothing but be an obstacle, not only in training and missions but also his daily routine. It didn't help that everytime he looked at Raph, the images would force their way into his mind. And if Raph had noticed, he didn't bring it up which Leo was thankful for. He really should let Raph know what a big help he is sometimes without him knowing it.

"Leonardo, I thought you went to bed."

Leo jumped and yelped when he heard his father's voice. He turned around and found his sensei approaching.

"Sensei." He addressed. Splinter looked at his son expectantly, awaiting explanation. Leo got the signal, "Sleep really isn't coming in right now..." he trailed off.

Splinter studied Leonardo. His son's posture showed fatigue and his aura was filled with unease. His brows furrowed. His eldest son had been acting strange for a week. The subtle sluggishness in his training and many other tasks did not pass unnoticed by Splinter. It was time he asked him.

"My son," Splinter said, "You seem troubled. Is something wrong?"

"No, sensei," Leo immediately answered, "I-I'm fine." He inwardly winced at the slight wavering in his voice. He didn't want to seem weak infront of his teacher.

Splinter frowned. He was expecting that response. He could sense that Leonardo was not comfortable yet to share anything at the moment. He would come to him only when he deemed himself ready. Of course Splinter was worried, but he wasn't one to probe into personal matters, even if it were his own sons'.

"Alright Leonardo," Splinter said, "As you say."

Leo exhaled a sigh of relief. He looked up when Splinter set on his paw on his shoulder gently. "But should you need any help with anything, do not hesitate to come to me."

"Hai, sensei." Leo replied.

"Goodnight, my son."

"Goodnight, father."

* * *

 _"Forget."_

Leo searched every direction trying to pinpoint the source of the voice. It was garbled, and he heard static mixed with it. He was barely able to distinguish the words from the noise.

 _"Forget."_

"Who's there?" Leo said, "Show yourself!" His eyes darted everywhere, his senses were peaked, yet he could not detect anyone nearby. When he got no response he continued his questions. "Who are you?"

Silence.

" _Who are you!?_ " He exclaimed, exasperated.

 _"Forget."_

It was same place, the same darkness, one he was wishing to death he wouldn't return to. The unsettling atmosphere weighed heavily on him and he was unnerved- no- he was _terrified._ It had been his brother before; now it was some deranged voice telling him to forget who knows what. He held his head as the voice multiplied, got louder and louder and more unrecognizable with each second. He cried out as it became agonizingly unbearable and when he thought his head would explode, the voices stopped. He blinked and looked around, half relieved that it was over, half frightened not knowing what to expect next. _Atleast the pain's gone..._

 _Wait._

He narrowed his eyes when he caught movement not far ahead of him. He'd been gullible before, no way in hell would he let that repeat. He unsheathed one of his swords and stood in a fighting stance. He could only see the outline of the figure that appeared. He squinted his eyes to get a better look and gasped inaudibly when he saw something glowing- probably its eyes- whatever it was. The figure started to walk in his direction and he took a step back. Saying that this situation was uncomfortable was an understatement. Beads of sweat trailed down his forehead in apprehension. He expected the worst to occur and the fact that this place was hauntingly unpredictable was not helping at all.

The figure stopped a good distance from him and it was enough for Leo to make out it's features. He gasped. The soulless eyes staring into his could tear the life out of people. But it wasn't the intensity that struck him, it was the familiarity.

"Ra-"

He didn't get the chance to finish when everything swirled into darkness.

...

 ** _Forget._**

* * *

Leo inhaled sharply when he woke up. He stared at the ceiling while he got his bearings. He dragged his hands down his face and groaned. _Damn it._ If this continued on he would lose his sanity. He set his eyes on the digital clock. _Oh shell!_ It was ten minutes past training. He got up hurriedly, grabbed his mask and made a beeline for the dojo. He found Donnie and Mikey doing their warm-up exercises. He released a relieved breath. He wasn't _too_ late. He got confused upon looking around and walked up to Donnie.

"Hey, Donnie." He greeted.

Donnie looked at his addressor, "Oh, good morning Leo. You missed breakfast."

"Where's Raph?" He asked.

Donnie froze for a moment. He looked at Leo, confused. "What?"

Leo arched an eye-ridge. "I asked where Raph is," He repeated his question, "Is he late for training? Again?"

Donnie and Mikey, who had gotten curious and walked up to them, exchanged confused glances before Donnie asked, "What are you talking about?"

Leo eyed their strange behaviour, "What do mean 'what are you talking about'? Raphael, our brother, where is he?"

"We know who Raph is." Mikey said through gritted teeth. Leo looked at him in surprise. That was highly uncharacteristic of his youngest brother. Raph must've crossed a line with him.

"Then why isn't he here?" Leo asked, slightly annoyed that he wasn't being given a straight answer.

"Of course he isn't here. Why would he be?" Mikey said, a depressed expression made its way to his face.

Donnie put a hand on Mikey's shoulder trying to comfort him and looked at Leo with sad eyes. _What's going on?_

Donnie was about to say something when a stern voice cut him.

"My sons, let us begin."

Splinter entered the dojo. It took him a moment to notice the expressions of his students. "Is something the matter?" He asked.

"Sensei, where's Raph?" Leo asked concerned. By now, he knew something was up. He had been having an uncomfortable feeling the moment he woke up but kept denying it. Until now.

Splinter tensed after hearing the abrupt question. Leo wasn't sure, but he swore he saw grief flash in his father's eyes.

 _Why would..._

His eyes widened in fear and he willed himself to speak, "Sensei? What's going on?" Splinter didn't answer. "Did s-something happen to him?" His sensei lowered his head and closed his eyes; a gesture Splinter showed in situations Leonardo knew too well. "Father, please! Tell me!" He said and stood directly infront of him, searching his expression, desperate to find any clue, _any_ clue at all.

After a long moment of silence, which seemed like ages to Leo, Splinter spoke the words that caught him completely off guard. It was unexpected, but was equally as horrifying, surpassing even the worst of his fears.

"My son... Raphael died nine years ago."

* * *

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 **Until next time!**


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